Nagato's Conversation
by thecolorsilver
Summary: Yuki continues to learn how to live in and react to the world around her, with the help of Kyon. Kyon/Yuki.
1. Chapter 1

Yuki sat at the back of the SOS club room, book in hand, though, she wasn't reading it. She was looking out of the window. She wasn't quite sure what she was looking at or why she was looking at it, but she just felt like looking at something. Blinking, she turned her head to the right, staring at a few people who were walking along a path. Then, she looked over to a girl who was sitting on a bench. A boy sat next to her and they were talking. Yuki tilted her head and watched them.

Why did people do this? They just…talked. For no apparent reason. There was no benefit to it, it seemed. Perhaps there was something important to be transmitted to this girl, she decided. She couldn't come to a conclusion right away that whatever was being stated was trivial in nature. It could be serious.

The door opened and Mikuru entered. "Oh. Yuki." She smiled. "Hello." She looked around. "Wh…where's Ms. Suzumiya?"

"I do not know."

"Oh…" She sat down in a chair.

"Why do people 'talk'?" She blinked.

"Talk?"

"Yes. Talk."

"Well…" She looked around. "To get to know each other better. And to generally pass the time." She smiled.

Yuki looked down at her closed book. "Oh. I see." Yuki thought about this. Pass the time. Like…reading books. Only you 'talk' to people instead.

Mikuru opened up her laptop, courtesy of the computer club, and started working on homework. Yuki turned to her. "How was your day?"

Mikuru slowly stopped typing. "Um." She looked to her. "It was good. How was yours?"

Yuki looked down to her book. "Good."

Mikuru stared at Yuki for a few moments until she finally turned back to her laptop and carefully began typing again.

Kyon walked into the room and set his backpack on the table. "Hey, Mikuru." He looked to Yuki, who was still staring at her closed book. "Hey, Nagato."

She looked up. "Hey."

Mikuru looked up to Kyon and smiled.

Yuki turned in her chair as Kyon sat down at the table. "How was your day?"

Kyon stopped his movement. Nagato was talking. To him. When she didn't have to. There wasn't some crisis or necessity or anything of the sort that called her to do this, she was just asking him this.

"It was alright. How was yours?"

"It was good."

"I'm glad, Yuki."

"Yes." She looked back outside.

Kyon looked to Mikuru who just raised her shoulders and mouthed, "I have no idea."

After a few minutes Mikuru stood. "Well, I have to go now!" She smiled. "Bye!" Kyon smiled as she nearly skipped out of the door.

Turning to Yuki he put his elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand. "So, Nagato."

She looked to him. "So."

"What are you reading?"

She looked to it. "It is an American Book."

"Really?" He sat back in his chair. "Why are you reading that?"

"It is interesting." She looked back at it. "It is by a man named Stephen Hawking."

"Oh." He nodded.

She looked to him. "Why do you 'talk', Kyon?"

He was silent. He thought she was saying he talked too much. "Um. I'm sorry if I…bother you."

"Is it to…pass the time? Or to get to know people better?"

"Oh." He laughed. "It's just for conversation, Yuki. Everyone does it. Well, most everyone."

She stood and walked over to the table, sitting across from him. "I wish to have a conversation."

He stood, stiff. "Oh. Okay."

She looked stoic as ever, but he could tell she was serious.

"Um. Well, you already got the first part over."

"First part."

"The 'how-are-you's'."

"Oh."

"Now, you just go off of who they are and what is going on around you." She blinked. He knew that wouldn't make too much sense at all. "Well, take, for instance, us. We are in the SOS club room. So, we might talk about what we've done lately, or what we're going to do. We might talk about the other members of the group… in a good way, hopefully." He thought about it.

She looked down with her eyes. "I see."

"And then that conversation usually leads into other conversation, naturally." He nodded his head, calmly.

"Oh." She thought about this.

"So, try saying something to start a conversation off." He smiled.

She looked up. Her hands were together on top of the table. She was silent. After a few seconds her hands gripped together a little. She looked to the left. "I'm…not sure."

"Well. I'll say something." He thought. "So, Nagato, what crazy thing do you think Haruhi's going to come up with to make us do next?"

She glanced back to him. Then to the table. "Um." She thought. "I don't know, Kyon." She thought she was suppose to repeat his using her name. "But…I'm sure it'll be pretty crazy." She looked back up to him.

First, Kyon was still reeling at the sound of Nagato saying his name. It sounded so strange, so amazing. He couldn't get over it. There was just something about it. Something so…human, almost. Second. What was that? But it was a pretty good start, he guessed. It was more than she had ever done before.

"It's true." He laughed. "I'm sure it will be."

She loosened the grip on her hands and sat up a bit. "Yeah." She looked to the right. "I'm sure Mikuru will also be stressed over it."

He smiled. 'Stressed'? How cute is that! "I'm sure she will be." He said, confidently.

She let her hands fully part so that they weren't touching anymore. She almost looked comfortable in her chair.

She turned to him. "Was that a conversation?"

"Yes, I believe it was, Nagato."

She nodded. "I see."

He smiled. "And so, now you can go out there and have normal conversations with everyone."

"Normal conversations."

"Yeah, ones that don't have to do with school, or the SOS Brigade or anything."

"Oh."

He smiled. How strange is it, though, that Nagato would suddenly want to do something like this? Why would she want to learn how to converse with people? What was she trying to do, trying to prove? Who was she trying to impress?

She looked to him. "I would like to have a normal conversation…with you, now Kyon."


	2. Chapter 2

"A date." Nagato flipped a page in her book. She looked to him. Mikuru had just left the room. A few days had gone by since their original conversation and Yuki had begun to grow in her ability to communicate with people. She had decided to test this ability out in the 'real world.'

Huh? Kyon looked to her. "What?"

"I wish to go on a date. That is where conversations occur." She stared at him.

He wasn't sure what to say. "Where did you learn that, Nagato?"

"Itsuki." She was looking at him matter-of-factly.

Itsuki told her that. Why would he do that? _Damn_ him. Then all the sudden he wasn't angry. Why? The prospect of going on a date with Nagato wasn't so bad to him. Interesting.

"Sure, Nagato. That sounds fun. Where do you want to go?"

"I do not know. Where would be appropriate?"

"How about a restaurant. For dinner?"

"Okay."

---

So, there they were, sitting across from each other at dinner. Yuki was examining her silverware and Kyon was fidgeting with his water glass.

After a few minutes of silence, "So, Nagato. How do you like this place?"

"It is very acceptable." She paused. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Your welcome. Thank you for…asking…me." Kyon thought about that. Nagato had asked_ him_ on a date. Of course, without realizing that she had. Right?

"What else do you do on a date?" She ate some of her food.

"Huh?" Kyon turned back to her.

"On a date. What else do two people do besides converse?"

Kyon thought about this, carefully. Well, there _are_ a few _other_ things, but…no, better not. "Pretty much just talk, Nagato."

"Oh."

Yuki watched as the waiter took her plate from her. They stopped "Are you…finished, Miss?"

"Yes."

They smiled. The waiter was worried because of how she was staring at the plate as they took it. But it was obviously totally and completely empty. Yuki definitely had a habit of eating everything that was put in front of her.

"Did you enjoy your food, Nagato?"

"Please." She looked up to him. "Call me Yuki."

He was quiet for a few seconds. "Oh, yeah. Of course."

"Yes. It was quite good. Thank you." She took a drink of her water. "And yours? How was your food, Kyon?"

"It was pretty good. Thanks, Yuki."

She blinked a few times and then looked down to her empty place setting. "I am glad."

---

Kyon and Yuki walked up to the front of her apartment building, talking, of course.

"It was a very interesting night." She turned to him. "Thank you."

"Thank you for going with me, Yuki." She stood for a few moments, just staring at him, then finally she nodded and turned to walk up to her apartment.

He glanced down for just a moment, then put his hand up, "Naga-" She turned her head. "…Yuki." He thought for a second. "Just a moment." She gripped her right hand. Walking up to her she turned so that they were looking at each other and he put his hands up so they were resting on her shoulders.

"Do we…kiss, now?"

"What?" Kyon nearly stepped back. I mean, he had been nearly about to if he could have gotten up the courage but he had never thought that Nagato would have known something like that would have been coming. He looked down. "Why…how…"

"Like, in the movies." She looked away. "Ms. Suzumiya has wished me to be knowledgeable of romantic movies so that we could converse about them because I have been talking more lately. So I taught myself more about them yesterday." She turned to him. "A date. At the end. It always ends with a kiss. Are we going to kiss, Kyon?"

He stood, still. He had no idea what to say or do. Did that mean she wanted to kiss him? Did that mean that this was why she asked him on the date to begin with? Why she asked the question about 'other things' people did on dates? What was Nagato doing? It made no sense.

"Do you…want me to kiss you, Yuki?"

Her eyes nearly widened. She stopped. Nothing came out. Then, "I…" She wasn't sure what to say. "I guess so."

He moved his right hand slowly up her neck to her hair and leaned forward, kissing her. She wasn't sure what to do, so her eyes stayed open. It took her a few seconds to close them, upon remembering the movies and what happened in them.

It was dark out, and the only light was that of a few street lamps that lined the streets.

Then her body went a little limp and the kiss was over. He looked at her. "Yuki?"

"Yes."

"Are you ok?"

"Yes. Just, a little tired." Oh no, what had he done. He had totally ruined it! He should have just waited and done nothing. He knew she would have just said that and not meant it, not known what she was really saying, I mean the movies aren't real, shows aren't real. Come on! She turned her head and looked up to her apartment. Oh, no! She was already trying to get away from him, looking for an escape. Dammit, he had ruined their friendship, their relationship: everything forever. "But, before I go…"

"Yes?" He closed his eyes, putting his hand up to his forehead. He felt a headache coming on. She was going to punch him or something.

But he felt something else. Yuki leaned forward, moved up on her feet and kissed him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Yuki, what do you _do_ in class?" Kyon watched her, carefully.

She turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"In class? I mean, what do you do? You probably already know all this stuff; it has to be pretty boring for you."

She looked down at her book and then up to the wall in front of her. "I do not know everything. It is impossible to do so."

"Well, I mean. Do you just sit there and learn stuff like the rest of us? What would be the purpose of it?"

She blinked. "There is nothing else for me to do but to learn like the rest of you." She looked to him "It can be quite interesting at times."

"Really?" He turned in his chair.

"No." She looked back to her book and flipped the page.

He stared at her for a moment and then sighed, looking down at the beaten up table in front of him. "Can't you like…go somewhere else? Like in your mind? Or like how the classroom turned into a computer program like it did. Couldn't you do that for the period to kind of get away?"

She thought for a moment. "…No." Looking at him, she said. "No, I couldn't. I don't think you are understanding how this works." She looked back to her book. "But if you are that bored right now, and are trying to hint that you wish to do something like that, then you might be able to persuade me into doing something of the sort." She flipped a page, again.

He got out of his chair and walked to her. "What do I have to do?"

She kept looking at her book. "I do not know…"

"Come on, Yuki." He looked out of the window. "It was so interesting to see those rooms turn into whatever you wanted them to. I just want to see that again, only…in a good way."

She blinked a few times. Then, she closed her book and looked to him. "Okay."

He smiled. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Do we have to go back to the same classroom?"

"No. I have a room in my apartment." She stood. "Follow me."

---

Yuki closed the door behind them as they walked into a completely bare room. "We are here." She turned to him. "Now. Where do you wish 'here' to be?"

He looked around the room. "Oh, sheesh. I don't know." The room was so white, so empty. There was nothing in it to spark any sort of imaginative…anything.

She took his hand. He looked down at it. "Come on." She pulled him to the center of the room. "Pick somewhere, anywhere. It does not matter."

He looked around the room. Now that he was here, he just couldn't think. She was looking at him, and it was just making everything worse.

Then, before he could think anymore there was a sudden blast of light and then pure darkness. He closed his eyes and sunk to the floor to try to keep a hold of his body, but she still held his hand. After everything had settled she spoke.

"Open your eyes."

Finally, he did.

"Aaa!" He gripped her hand, tighter, as he nearly fell over.

"It is fine, you will not fall. Now, stand." She looked down at him as he looked up at her. Finally, he stood and she put her hand around his side to steady him. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes…"

"Good."

All around them was nothing, but, everything. The universe, the stars and planets. It was beautiful and overwhelming at the same time. He wasn't sure where they were, exactly; he couldn't place any of the stars or constellations. No planets looked familiar. They must have been in another solar system completely.

"It's gorgeous." He finally spoke.

"Yes." She looked around. "I suppose it is."

He turned to her. "Do you really think so, Yuki?"

She slowly turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"What do you really think of all of this when you look at it?"

She blinked. "I…"

"What are your thoughts? Do you think it's beautiful or ugly? Or boring?"

She looked down. After a few moments she looked around at it all. "I suppose…I think it's…unnecessary."

He laughed. "Unnecessary! Yuki, it's the universe, how can it be unnecessary!"

"It is a waste of space. Only a few planets let alone solar systems or galaxies are actually used. Why have so many?" She looked around some more. "Yes…I think it's a terrible waste of space."

"What else would be done with it, though?" He laughed.

She turned to him. "Words cannot express that to a human."

He looked scared. "Oh…"

"Come on." She took his hand and started walking. "This way."

"Wait!" But once they started he saw it was just as though they were walking on regular ground. "Oh." It was so strange… How was this possible?

"Here," She pointed to a planet. "Here is where we will go."

He looked at it. "Why?"

"It is where I was born."

"Born?"

"That is what you humans say. It is where I was 'created'."

The lights of the stars all collided around them, making a vacuum of air and space, until all he could see was a vortex of time. He closed his eyes because of it. "Nagato!" She tightened her grip around his side.

"It will be over soon, Kyon. Just wait."

And then they were there. There was quiet.

He opened his eyes. "Yuki?" She wasn't beside him anymore. He hadn't noticed her hand's disappearance from his side as a purposeful thing; it was like it had just… gone. "Yuki?" He looked around himself, quickly. "Where are you?"

He was in a large field, and on the outskirts of the field was a forest of some kind. The field had to be about 1,000 feet in diameter and so he shouted his question, frightened. Then he got very quiet - afraid of who else could be here - remembering all the movies he had watched and all of the times the protagonist had done the same thing he had done and attracted some bad guy/creature to their side who then caught/ate them. He put his hand over his mouth and sank to the ground.

Where had she gone?! Why had she left, it made no sense!

"Kyon."

"Aaa!" He turned and moved backwards, pulling his body with his arms and pushing with his feet. Then, he saw it was Yuki and let out a long sigh. "Yuki…why…don't…what…where did you go!?!"

She stood, silent, then put her hand out to him to help him stand. He looked at it for a few moments, then took it. "I lost you." One he was standing he brushed the dirt off of himself. She watched him do this. "I am sorry. It took me a while to find your scans. I thought I might not find you. But then you started yelling…."

He looked down. "Yes, well." He brushed off the last of the dirt. "Thank you for finding me."

She turned. "Follow me." They started walking.

"Where are we going?"

"To my home."

She began walking and he followed her. "Home?"

"Yes."

The building was quite large and made of glass, which made it stick out painfully against its surroundings, but then when Kyon looked at it again, it seemed as though it didn't show at all. He looked terribly confused and Yuki pointed this out. "Well, it's just…everything seems to change in this place. Why?"

"You just have to get use to it, that's all." She opened a door on the side. "At first glace, things are exactly what they seem." He walked in. "Then, they change into what they were meant to be."

He looked at her as the door shut. "That makes no sense."

She watched him, carefully. "I know they will not to you." She started walking forward. "Follow me." She took them into a large room that was centered on a waterfall which spilled into a chasm in the middle of the floor. "Here." She pointed. "Look down there." He walked out and put his hand on a railing that was placed around it, peering below.

"What am I looking at?"

"Just look and you'll see."

He stared down into it, again. Opening his eyes, wide, he couldn't believe what he saw. "Oh, my. Is that?"

"Yes."

The waterfall fell down and ended in a deep black abyss, but once he looked harder he saw that the abyss held star after star, and finally, a quiet blue planet. He smiled. "That's Earth?"

"Yes."

"That's amazing." He turned back to her, leaning against the railing. He put his hand up to his forehead. "But, Yuki. Why did you bring me _here_? Of all places."

She thought for a moment. "It's…my favorite place."

He stood still, thinking about this. Nagato…had a favorite place? He looked back to the waterfall. And she wanted to share it with him. He smiled. Looking back to her, he took her hand. "Then I'm honored."

She blinked a few times and looked down at her hand being held by his, and then back up to him. She nearly looked flushed. Was she…emotional over this? Embarrassed? Happy, excited, anything? What was she thinking? Kyon watched her.

"I am…glad you like it." She walked to the edge and gazed into the abyss. "Yes. Glad."

---

They returned to the SOS club room without much time passing, and soon Yuki was back in her chair and Kyon was sitting at the table. They were silent for a few moments before Kyon finally spoke.

"Thank you. Yuki." He tapped his fingers on the table once. "That was really cool."

She slowly turned a page. "Of course." Then, she looked up, slightly. "If you ever want to go again…don't hesitate to ask. I wouldn't mind going, either."

He smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

"Kyon!!!" Haruhi nearly yelled out the name in the SOS club room, even though it was so small, just saying the word was sufficient enough to warrant complaint from Yuki while she was reading. "Kyon…" She looked around.

"He is clearly not in the room."

Haruhi looked over to the quiet female in the corner. "Excuse me?"

"The person you are currently searching for at an extremely high level of noise is obviously not in this room. If you wish to find him, I would suggest looking elsewhere." Yuki looked back to her book after giving Haruhi a good amount of attention.

Haruhi was standing tall, but she gave this up in favor of a thinking stance, bending her torso over just enough to make it possible to coolly drum her fingers on the table and carefully rest her other hand on her hip. "I suppose." She looked over to Mikuru, who was making tea. "But I'm takin' you with me!"

Mikuru looked to Haruhi and her cheeks immediately turned a light shade of pink as terror struck her. "What? Why! What are you going to do!"

"I just need some company and _Yuki_ isn't any fun." Haruhi walked over to Mikuru and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her towards the door.

"But, Ms Suzumiya! The tea!" She put her arms out as if she could magically reach the long distance there was between the now shutting door and the tea pot.

"Oh, don't worry! Yuki'll do it." The door slammed. Then Haruhi opened it slightly yelling. "But if you see him tell him I'm looking for him, okay, Yuki?"

She nodded.

Yuki looked to the door at that phrase. 'She'd do it'. She turned to the stove and watched the tea pot. After a few seconds it began to make a loud noise and Yuki continued to stare. Finally, she stood and put her book on her chair, walking to the stove. It was right about the time she was taking the teapot off of the burner that Kyon walked in.

He was pretty surprised, actually, to see her doing something other than reading in the club room. "Hey, Yuki."

"Hello." She looked back to the teapot, then to him. "Would you like to drink some?"

He set his bag on the end of the table and then walked up close to where the window was. "Definitely!"

She got two cups and poured some. He took a sip as she was turning the stove off. "Wow, this is really good. Thanks, Yuki."

"It is Mikuru's tea, I must admit."

He looked down into the cup. "Oh," then, turning up to meet her eyes, he said, "Well, you still did an excellent job with the ending part of it. Thanks."

She looked down at her cup, then took a sip. "You are welcome."

"Yuki." He stared at her intently. "Have you ever…or rather," He realized that he pretty much knew the answer to this question. "Can you…smile?"

She looked up at him. "Smile?"

He nodded, slightly. "Yeah, like emotions shown on your face. Here, watch." He smiled a regular smile – not too gaudy, but enough that she'd recognize a change. "Do you think you could do that?"

She thought about it. "Why would I need to?"

"Well, so people around you could tell how you are feeling. Like, if you smile, then people would know that you are happy about something, or you think it's funny. Or, if you frown, then they know you are sad, or maybe mad. If your entire face lights up, then you're surprised." He showed her each expression. "Do you kind of see what I mean? That way, even when you aren't talking…you are still communicating."

She held her teacup, steadily. "So…the way I conduct my face, adds to the manner of my speech. So that others can tell how I am feeling with more ease."

"Yes! That's it." Kyon smiled.

"So, you were happy about how I just figured that out." He immediately calmed his face.

"Well, yeah. Yeah! You're right. So, why don't you try some of the emotions? You try smiling!" He sat forward. "What I just did, try it."

She just stared at him. "Smile?"

"Yes. Smile. Like this." He smiled, confidently; no teeth showing." She kept staring at him. "Okay. Well, just...bring the sides of your mouth up or higher on your face." She did it. "Good! Now your mouth is in a crescent shape. Can you tell?"

She put her hand up to her face, feeling her lips. "Yes."

"Good job, you definitely just smiled. In fact…" He looked around until he found a mirror in Mikuru's bag. "Sorry Mikuru…" Then he brought it over. "I want you to see both of us smiling so you can tell.

"Oh."

He brought the mirror up and he smiled, telling her to do the same. It took her a while, but eventually she got it. Then he laughed at the sight of Yuki smiling, especially next to him.

"What?" She turned to look at him.

"Nothing! Nothing." She just looked…really cute. He laughed quietly to himself, again.

"Thank you." He turned to her.

"What?"

"For teaching me. Thank you." She stared, emotionless. "I have heard of this word before, and have seen this expression, but had not known how to achieve it. Thank you for showing me."

"Oh." He laughed softly "Of course, Yuki. Anytime!" She stood and walked around the table, standing by his chair. He looked up at her. Finally, he got the hint and stood up as well.

As they were standing right next to each other she reached her arms out and gave him a hug. True, it was somewhat stiff and awkward, but she had engaged it herself, and she seemed to know what it meant. He couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness. He brought his arms up and around, hugging her, back. He closed his eyes.

When she stepped back, she sat back in her seat.

Kyon took a deep breath, somewhat reeling from what had just happened. He sat there, thinking, trying to get up his nerve to ask her something. What would it be, go to a movie, to dinner – something? Maybe? Oh, if he could only get up the nerve. She had! Then, all of the sudden he heard a very loud noise coming down the hall – no – storming down the hall.

Yuki looked up to the door as well. Then it changed to a voice. "Kyon!!!" Yuki stood and began walking back to her book and chair.

"Oh," She turned to him, "I failed to relay the message - Ms. Suzumiya is looking for you." She smiled just a little.


	5. Chapter 5

"We're going to play a game." Haruhi stood up on a chair that was placed at the end of the table. Kyon couldn't help but feel his heart sink to the bottom of his chest as he imagined all of the bad things that this could lead to. "And the star is going to be…" she looked over to the corner of the room, "You!" she pointed to Yuki.

Yuki failed to notice Haruhi's mention of her, and kept reading. Haruhi put her hands on her hips. "Yuukiiiii!?"

Yuki turned to Mikuru, Kyon, Itsuki and Haruhi who were all sitting at the table and looking at her. She sat quiet for a few moments until she finally responded. "What?"

"I need you for something." She got off her chair and walked to the side of the room where all of the costumes and boxes were and became rifling though them. "Let's see…" Soon, she pulled out the black bunny girl costume. Suddenly, Kyon was no longer afraid of what was going to happen. Wait…maybe he was.

"Yuki, get over here."

She widened her eyes a little bit. Kyon smiled. Go, Nagato, she showed some emotion.

"I'd rather not, Ms Suzumiya. Wouldn't you rather have Mikuru try it on? It would fit her better." She looked back to her book.

"Nah, I've seen her in it a thousand times. I want to see something new!! Plus, you're like totally cute! I want to see you in something flashy for once." She walked up to her. "Now, come on!"

Yuki glanced past Haruhi to Mikuru and Itsuki, who both seemed to agree that she should do what Ms Suzumiya asked. It was always best to do this, to keep her entertained, to keep her happy. Yuki stood up and sat her book on the chair.

Kyon couldn't believe this! He was going to get to see _Yuki_ in a bunny girl costume! This was like a dream come true! A dream that he had never truly realized because he knew it would never happen so why even try?

"Alright, then. Let's get going." Haruhi started pulling her cardigan off and threw it to the floor. It was about the time she pulled down the right sleeve of her shirt that Yuki stopped her, twisted her right arm and pushed her down on the table. After about a split second, she realized what she had done. She pulled her back up and brushed her arm with her hand once, trying to make up for the damage she had done, which wasn't much - she was good at containing her force – and apologized.

"I am sorry. It was just a reflex."

Haruhi looked to her arm. "Yeah. It's…it's okay." Mostly her pride was just hurt. "I think you can probably just dress yourself." She looked over to the three other SOS members who were trying not to laugh. "But as long as it doesn't take very long!" She spoke very authoritatively. "Now, come on, you guys, let's give Yuki some time." She walked out and they closed the door.

Yuki looked at the costume. What was she doing to herself?

---

Slowly the door to the club room opened and a pair of bunny ears emerged. Then, Yuki's face followed. Finally she walked out and stood before them. "I am finished."

They all stared at her. No words came out for a good minute.

Mikuru looked at the other members and felt bad for her. "You look wonderful, Yuki!" She ran to her side and put her arm around her waist. "Just adorable."

"Yeah!" Itsuki responded. "You look great. You really…fill that…costume out."

Haruhi hit him over the head. Then, she turned to Yuki. "See, I told you you'd look beautiful in it!" She walked to the other side of her and put her arm around her as well. "Now, someone's gotta take a picture of us! Go get the camera!" Itsuki ran into the room and grabbed it, then came out and took a picture, but not before Haruhi got the chance to move in and lick the side of Yuki's face. By the flash, they could all tell that the picture had definitely captured that exact moment.

Yuki's eyes widened like Kyon had never seen before. He couldn't help but remember when Haruhi ran up and bit Mikuru's ear. Itsuki started laughing and Yuki ran a few steps away from Haruhi, feeling her cheek like it was foreign to her, somehow. Mikuru looked around wondering what was wrong since she was on the other side of Yuki and couldn't see what had happened and Kyon just stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Oh, come on!" Haruhi walked over and grabbed Yuki's hand, dragging her into the room. "It's not that big of a deal, I just wanted a good picture to put on our site!"

Yuki stopped completely. "I am confused." Haruhi turned around.

"About what?"

"You are going to put up…that picture? For people to view."

"Well, yeah."

"Why is this?"

"Because, Yuki. You're in the club and they want to see you."

Yuki thought about this. Why would they want to see her? Why her? She wasn't really part of this club. She was just someone sent here to do a job. To watch over Haruhi. They had Mikuru to look at, they didn't need her. Why would they want pictures of _her_? It didn't make sense. She wasn't good looking or anything. Was she?

"You know, Yuki, you're a part of this club, too." Itsuki walked up to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and held her hand.

Kyon nearly bared his teeth. Get away from her…

She looked down. "Yes. Thank you."

Haruhi looked at everyone then paused for a moment. "So…let's put this picture up!!" She walked up to the computer and turned it on.

Yuki walked forward. "Must it be a picture of this nature?"

Haruhi had pulled the chair out and was about to sit in it. She thought for a moment. "Umm…._yeah_!"

In a matter of minutes there was a picture of the three girls up on the SOS site. "They'll probably think we doctored the picture, no one'll believe we got Yuki in this outfit!"

Then they all remembered she was still in the outfit. They all looked to her. She glanced down at herself. "Oh. Yes."

"Well, I suppose that's that." Haruhi put her hand up to her chin. "Unless…we can think of something else to do with this outfit…"

Yuki shook her head. "I do not think we will be able to. There are no more options for us to choose from."

"Alright. Well let's get this thing off of you!" Haruhi walked over and started pulling the costume off of Yuki, but this time she wasn't expecting it, so she wasn't ready to fight her. Itsuki and Kyon jumped up from their chairs and ran out of the door. They stood there, waiting. All they could hear were faint cries from the inside of the room.

"Ms Suzumiya, I don't think you should pull that hard, Yuki isn't use to having you undress her!"

"Oh, she'll be fine – oh, holy crap, woman! I didn't know you had those underneath there! Why didn't you tell me for goodness' sakes! From now on you'll be dressing up with Mikuru!"

"No, no I will not."

Itsuki and Kyon slowly slid down the wall and put their heads in their hands, waiting until they could finally be let back into the room.


	6. Chapter 6

So, there Yuki stood, quiet as ever, holding a book outside of the school, being gawked at periodically by boys, wearing Mikuru's infamous maid outfit.

Haruhi looked over to her as she was almost finished putting on Mikuru's bunny ears. "Yuki! Put that book down! You have to look these guys in the eyes! That's what _really _gets 'um!" She ran up and grabbed the book, tossing it on the pile of their things. Yuki watched it fall, then looked up to Haruhi.

"…Hmm."

Haruhi looked down at Yuki's chest. Yuki looked down as well, then back up to her. "Is there a reason you are staring at me in an inappropriate manner?"

"Yeah!" She walked up and unbuttoned the top so that there was a lot of skin showing. "That's better!"

Yuki didn't look happy, and Kyon was surprised to see so. He could tell, somehow that she wasn't happy. How? It wasn't like it was really evident, like it would be if Haruhi was unhappy…then again no one shows they are unhappy like Haruhi does, but still, there was something very different about how she physically conveyed this emotion.

Why didn't she just say something?

"Haruhi, I don't think Yuki wants to have her outfit unbuttoned like that." Kyon stood.

Yuki looked over to him. Haruhi turned around. "What? What do you mean? There's nothing wrong with it, come on, it's just a little skin." She laughed. Then she glanced to Yuki. "Oh, fine! If you have such a big problem with it, button it up."

Kyon walked up to Yuki. She looked up to him. "You did not have to protect me. I could have just worn this costume as it is. It is not a terrible thing."

He moved closer to try to avoid having Haruhi hear. "Yes, but I just don't want her to take advantage of you…or Mikuru anymore. You guys have to start standing up for yourselves. Don't let her dress you up like this if it makes you uncomfortable."

She stared at the ground. "You must think so much less of me."

He couldn't believe what she had said, or that she could have thought such a thing. "What do you mean?" She looked back to him. "I could never think less of you. I think very highly of you; respect you. You're…very important to me." This time he looked at the ground. "Yuki, I…I think I-"

"What the hell is going on over there!?" Haruhi yelled at them from a few feet away, standing next to Mikuru who was shivering while holding some flyers that were advertising the SOS Brigade, once again. "Yuki, you're suppose to be over here!!!"

She turned back to him. "Apparently I am expected to go." She started to walk away before he stopped her. "Wait." He put his hands on her shoulders, lightly, and then took them away – starting to button up her dress, again. She watched him. He was nervous, but tried not to have his hands shake. _What must she be thinking?_ Finally he was finished.

"There." He smiled.

Yuki turned around and saw that Mikuru was standing, handing out flyers and Haruhi was running around, throwing them into people's hands. She looked to the ground. "If I understand anything about what you humans would call emotions." She glanced up to him. "Then… I think I 'like' you, too." She turned around and walked up to Mikuru, took some of her flyers and stood still, waiting to see if people would take them from her rather than handing them out.

He laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

"Kyon, I wish to exhibit the behavioral patterns of those two people." Yuki pointed at a couple who were holding hands in front of them as they were walking.

Kyon took a double take at them. Holding hands? Yuki wanted to hold hands? Did she even know what that meant? Wait. Maybe he should just ask that.

"Yuki. Do you even know what that really means? What it is?" She looked up to him as they walked. Her face was so blank and yet so cute. He smiled. "I mean…do you know _why_ you want to hold my hand?"

She glanced back in front of her at the couple. "I have been observing the every day occurrences and qualities of couples around me and a common symptom seems to be 'hand holding.'"

He looked to the two in front of them. 'symptom?'

"Therefore I have determined that it is imperative at some point that we display the same indication of affection in public to solidify our feelings." She looked up to him again and blinked.

"You want to… 'solidify' our feelings?" He supposed that was probably a very romantic thing in 'Yuki terms'.

"Alright." He opened his hand and let his arm out from his side a bit, smiling.

She looked at it. "What is it, exactly, that I am expected to do?"

He stopped. She stopped. They were both standing. "What do you mean?"

"I do not fully understand the concept of 'holding hands' yet."

He closed his eyes. "Oh." Opening them, he took her left hand with his left and put it on top of his right. "Now, make sure that it is open enough so that you can hold onto mine, like you would if you were to give a regular 'hand shake." He looked at her and she blinked twice. Yeah…he should have realized _that_ wouldn't help. "Well, you have it right now, anyway. Do you kind of see?"

She looked down and saw that they were holding hands. She searched through the crowd and found a couple that was doing the same. "Yes. This is very acceptable." She looked up to him and blinked. "Thank you."

"…Sure." He wasn't sure if she was happy that she was doing something that she wanted to learn… and he just happened to be the guy to teach her…or if she was happy because she genuinely wanted to hold _his_ hand. They started walking.

He smiled. It felt so wonderful to walk through the park with Yuki and hold her hand.

"Yuki?" He held her hand a bit tighter for a just a moment and then looked down to her.

She turned her head up to look at him. "Yes?"

"Why me?" He just said it. He had wanted to say it all day, and the days before this. But he just hadn't been able to. And then it just came out. "I don't get it. Why me?"

She was silent for a moment. "Your question does not seem…necessary."

"Necessary?" He stopped. "I want to know why you would pick me. You're incredibly intelligent, perfect in every way. You can learn things as quick as you want to, Yuki. You have everything. Why would you want _me_?"

She was carefully watching the cherry blossoms as they floated along the ground. She didn't know what to say. He could tell that she didn't know what to say. She glanced to the side and saw a bench, then started walking towards it. He followed.

Once he sat down next to her she sat back a little. "You seem to have the thought process that I am 'perfect,' or that, in some way I am able to 'retain information' as soon as I wish to?" She turned to him.

"Of course. When you wanted to play the guitar for the band, you knew how to right away. You protected me from certain death, you do things that are just…you're amazing." He didn't know what else to say.

She looked up to the trees. "And yet. Every day I struggle to try to learn this thing you humans call 'emotions.'" She clasped her hands together a little. "It is very difficult for me to do something as simple to you as…'holding hands.'" Letting her hands loose a bit, she said, "I wished more than anything that I could have just reached my hand out and taken yours. That I could just…smile. Or laugh. Or do any of these things that are part of the 'human soul'. But I did not understand how. I must specifically ask how. I can only teach myself things of the mind. Never things of the heart. Never truly important things."

Kyon was looking at her profile. He didn't know what to say.

She continued to look at her hands. "And my fear…is that if my learning processes do not keep up with you… you will eventually become annoyed with me. And leave."

He shook his head a little, but not enough so that Yuki could tell. He didn't understand where this was all coming from…was it because of his question? Did she think it was his way of leading her into him breaking up with her?

"And I do not wish for that to happen." Her hands were clutched so tightly together. She had never felt this way before. She didn't even know what to do. What was going on? She closed her eyes. "I do not wish for you to leave me, Kyon. I will continue to try to learn. Please, please do not leave me." That's when she felt it. This sensation. She opened her eyes, wide. Slowly, she brought her right hand up to her face and brushed her right index finger underneath her eye and brought it away from her face. There was some sort of liquid substance there. She just stared at it. What had happened? She sniffed and looked down at her lap. Had she…cried? She looked up at him.

"Yuki. Yuki? Are you alright? Your eyes are all red." He put his hand up to the side of her face. "Yuki…there are _tears_…" She just watched him as he was looking at her. "Are you crying?"

She closed her eyes and a few tears fell. She looked down. He brought her head up. "I'm not leaving you, Yuki." She slowly opened her eyes. "I could never leave you. Especially not for something like that. Yuki, the fact that you care so much about that is something that makes me like you even more."

She smiled a little, then, slowly, fell into him. She was so tired. She was amazed at how tired she was. It took so much energy, all of this emotion. To cry. How did they do this and still get through their day? To cry, to laugh, to smile? She was leaning against him, looking out at the people, and he put his arm around her, holding her.

She felt so happy to be held by him. Happy. She thought about this. She felt happy to be held by him. Slowly, she smiled. Then, she realized that she hadn't even tried to do so.


	8. Chapter 8

"Yuki I've bought you something." Yuki stood in the SOS club room facing the window, looking outside at the people walking by. Sure she had her book and she _had_ been reading it, but periodically, she felt like she wanted to get up and just watch for a while. It made her happy. Haruhi stood a few feet behind her. "Yuuuuki." She tapped her foot. "YUKI!"

Yuki turned around, quickly. "Yes?" Then she saw it, and her eyes widened. "Oh, Ms Suzumiya." She started side stepping, looking toward the door for escape. "I understand that you must have taken unusual steps to obtain such an item for me, but I must insist that such an outfit is not acceptable for one such as I."

Haruhi tilted her head to the side a little bit at this sentence and then realized that Yuki was getting closer and closer to the door. "Oh, no you don't." She got between her and the door. "This is going to look _adorable_ on you!" She gave it to her (or, more like threw it to her). "Now, _put it on_!"

Yuki looked down to the outfit she was holding. It was rather ridiculous. But then, again, what was she expecting?

----

Kyon was walking down the hall to the SOS room with his backpack slung across his back, slowly watching the people walk by him as they made their way out of the building and to their respective homes for the night. Why wasn't he doing that?

Finally he was at the door. He knocked twice, then entered. Right when he looked in he froze. "Yu-Yuki?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Kyon. Hello."

"Yuki, what are you wearing?"

He put his hand up to his mouth to cover his smile.

Her outfit was even more hilarious because it was on her. She was wearing a purple and silver top that was dangerously tight, it must have been some sort of spandex material, and it had all sorts of carefully placed holes in it, around the sides, on her stomach and on the top of the chest area. Then she had just a black underwear/swimsuit-type bottom and knee high boots. To complete the look she had a purple and silver cape and some sort of laser gun.

She looked hilarious. She blinked twice. "What are your thoughts as you see me in this particular costume?"

He shook his head to get out of his trance. "I…I think you look very cute." He walked up to her. "What do you think?"

She looked down and picked up her right foot, looking at the boot. "I find it very strange."

"Do you know what it's suppose to be?"

"Yes. I believe it is suppose to be some 'space costume.'" She glanced back to him. "Correct?"

"Yeah. That's right." He laughed. "But why did Haruhi get it for you?"

"The answer to that is not yet apparent to me. But she will return soon and I assume that I will know at that time." She walked over to her chair and sat down.

He couldn't help but laugh, again. She just looked so funny! "Yuki?"

"Yes?" She turned to him.

"Can you come here?"

She looked down to her book. "Why don'tyou come here?"

He laughed. "Okay." He walked over to her and got down on his knees. She looked at him. "You're so beautiful."

She blinked. "Do you really think so?"

"Very much."

She looked away. "I do not understand why." He stood, but while doing so, he picked her up and looked at her. She just looked at him. "This feels strange." She said, but she put her arms around his neck to help him, knowing that it would be difficult to hold her, or any human.

"Yes." He said. "Yes, it's not like it is in the movies. A human is actually pretty heavy." He slowly walked to his chair and sat down, still holding her.

Once he was sitting, she looked up to him for a few moments. It was kind of awkward for those few moments, what with him holding her and them both not knowing what to do. Would he let her go? Say: "Okay, that just happened and I don't know why I did it." What? He didn't know what to do.

She looked at him for a few moments, and then rested her head on his shoulder. He sat there, looking down at her head, resting, quietly on him. Then, looking up he felt very comfortable. He smiled. It probably would have been a sight. A boy holding a girl dressed in a Star Trek costume sitting in a school classroom as the sun was setting into the window.

She closed her eyes.

The door slammed open. Kyon had always thought this was an impossible thing to do before meeting Haruhi. He thought that doors only slammed shut. But once he joined the SOS Brigade he found out that doors could, indeed, slam open.

"Yuki!" She looked to Yuki, who was resting comfortably in Kyon's arms, and then to Kyon, who was holding Yuki. Her face wasn't really recognizable when it came to an emotion. Kyon couldn't really put into words or decide what it was that she must have been thinking. He looked down to Yuki, who was un-phased by what was going on. Had she fallen asleep? _Did_ she sleep?

Haruhi walked up to Yuki and Kyon and stood over them. "What is going on?" Her hands were on her hips.

Yuki opened her eyes and looked up to Haruhi. "Ms. Suzumiya. It is very fortunate that you arrived at this time."

"What?" She let her hands drop to her sides. "Why?"

She sat up and Kyon let her stand, though she pretended to be very weak. "I am afraid that I fainted." She turned to Kyon. "But luckily Kyon was available to catch me. You arrived at just the right time to-." Yuki stopped.

Kyon realized that she couldn't think of what to say. Yuki couldn't think of what to say. A lie, anything. It was too difficult.

"In time to go get a nurse." He turned to Haruhi. "I couldn't get one myself, but we were afraid. And we knew you were the only one we could trust with such a task. Everyone else would just mess it up." He nodded.

She looked to both of them. Yuki looked to Kyon. Haruhi looked to Yuki, who didn't look so feeble all of the sudden. Yuki looked down, then fell into the arms of Kyon, again.

"Oh, no! Haruhi, quick! Only you can do this!"

Haruhi's eyebrow was raised, but they had stroked her ego _just_ enough to make it work. She turned around and walked quickly out of the door. "I'll be right back!"

Kyon laughed as she ran away, but when he looked back, Yuki was looking up at him. He smiled. She blinked. Then she pulled herself up a little and kissed him.

He pulled her to him and held her close. He had never been this close to her before. Not like this. It was strange. Wonderful, but strange. And frightening because Haruhi could walk in at any moment. The embrace was finally broken and Kyon let Yuki sit up so that she was more comfortable. Slowly, she stood.

"Should we wait for the nurse?" She looked down to her semi-crinkled shirt and flattened it.

Kyon looked to the door. "I don't know. Probably." When he turned back to Yuki she had her hand out to him. "Yuki?"

"Take it."

He laughed. "Okay?" Once he did she started walking toward the door quickly and opened it. "Where are we going?"

It was then that she started running. Did Yuki run? He hadn't really thought about it before. But…she was good at it. He was having a hard…time…keeping up. "Yuki! Hey, I'm not so use to running this fast."

She looked back to him. "Oh." She slowed down.

Soon, they were out of the building, looking up at the sunset. "Yuki, what's the deal? What is it?"

She turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you pull me out here, what's wrong?"

"There is nothing particularly wrong. I just did not want to be present when Ms. Suzumiya returned."

He laughed. "Oh." He caught his breath. "Okay." Looking up at the sunset again he closed his eyes.

"Well, too bad!" Kyon cringed at the voice. "Cause I found you anyway." They both turned around to see Haruhi standing there. "I_ thought_ you were fine." She walked up to Yuki and looked at her outfit. "But I'm glad the suit fits."

"What is it for?" Yuki looked down at the shirt.

"We're playing our movie at a convention and I thought it'd be good to have us three girls all decked out, especially you, Yuki." She smiled. "It's going to rock!"

Yuki looked down to the ground as though she was sad or embarrassed.

Yuki, embarrassed? Kyon smiled.

"Now, take your gun!" Haruhi gave her the laser gun. Yuki let her head drop so she was looking at the ground, but put her hand out so Haruhi could set the gun in it. Haruhi did and then laughed. "Okay! Time for a picture!"

Yuki looked up. "Why?"

"For the site, of course!"

"You have already obtained an embarrassing picture of me for the site."

"Yeah, but Mikuru has tons of them! You need to catch up, woman!" She looked around. "Now we just need a prop…" She saw Kyon. "Hey! I think the image of you holding Yuki like you were in the SOS Club room would be perfect!"

"What? No!" Kyon stepped back, putting his hands up. "Why do I have to be in pictures?"

"Shut up and do it!" She walked over and pushed him to Yuki. "You could do it then, do it now. Pick her up."

He looked from Haruhi to Yuki, who was looking up at him. She blinked. "Okay." He whispered. "Are you okay with this?"

"Of course."

He sighed. Bending over a bit, he picked her up, letting the cape trail down so that it was hitting the ground.

"Perfect!" Haruhi jumped up and down. "Now, Yuki put some emotion into it! Get sexy, woman!"

Yuki looked down to her boots and thought about this. "Sexy?" She looked up to Kyon. "What is… 'Sexy'?"

He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. "Um…Oh, God."

"Is it something that has to do with the act of 'sex'?"

He gulped. "Sort of…"

"I see." She looked to Haruhi. "Okay." She put her arms around Kyon's neck and brought her face up to his, kissing him on the cheek, and then let her right arm fall just enough down so that the laser gun was showing. Then, she brought her right leg up a little, bending it at the knee.

Haruhi stood still. "Umm…good job!" She brought her camera up. "Yeah!"

Once she was done taking pictures Kyon let Yuki down. "How'd you know to make those poses!?"

She blinked. "I do not know. It seemed appropriate."

"Oh." He didn't know what else to say. Except that he wanted copies of those pictures.

"Alright! Time to take the outfit off!" Haruhi walked up to Yuki. "I can't wait to see the reactions of all the people when they see you in this outfit at the convention! It's going to be priceless!" She took Yuki by the hand and started dragging her toward the door to the school. "We have to get these pictures up on the site right away. It's sure to attract a lot of attention. Maybe even get some new members! What do you think? I think so, too!"

The door slammed open and then shut and Kyon was left outside as the sun was setting. He smiled. This convention would definitely be interesting.


	9. Chapter 9

Kyon's little sister stared at Yuki, tilting her head. "Kyon." She whispered. "Kyon."

"What?" He walked over.

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Nagato."

"What's her first name?"

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Cause she's _pretty_." She giggled. Yuki was sitting on the opposite side of the room on a couch and couldn't hear what they were talking about. She had her hands positioned carefully on her knees and was looking forward at Kyon and his sister as though she might know what they were talking about.

"Yuki. Her name is Yuki."

She giggled. "Are you in looove?"

He messed up her hair. "Shhh. Now help me find it."

"Oh, that's boring. Ohh! How about this!" She pointed to the Guitar Hero box that was underneath the T.V. "Let's play this!" She jumped up and down on the floor while sitting.

"Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself." He looked at it. "And how do you know that Nagato would even want to play that?"

"_Yuki._" She said, bringing her face forward.

"What is the game?" Yuki was standing behind them. They both jumped. "That she talking about?"

"Guitar Hero!" She stood up, nearly jumping up. "It's awesome! We should play! I beat Kyon all the time."

"Does not! She cheats, that's all." He looked away.

"That's not cheating; it's the rules of the game." She stuck her tongue out.

She looked at the box. "Guitar Hero. Does it require a guitar?"

"Yeah." He walked into his room and then came out with two guitars, which were covered in the stickers provided by the game, and some not provided.

She looked at them. "I would like to play."

Yuki held one guitar and Kyon's sister the other. "Should we start on easy?"

Yuki looked at the guitar. "No. Let's just start on the last level." She turned to her. "If that's the level you are comfortable with."

Kyon looked over to her. "Well…yeah. Yeah, of course that's the level I'm use to."

"May I look at the rule book?" Yuki put her hand out.

"Sure!" Kyon's sister gave it to her.

Finally, the game began. There were two sides to the screen and Yuki had the left one. Kyon had the right.

Yuki looked down to her guitar. "It is very similar to the guitar I played when we screened our film."

Kyon turned to her. Oh no. He had nearly forgotten. She had played the guitar for the rock club. She was really good. She was really good. But, wait. This was different. This was keys and a game.

The music started. He looked to the screen.

"Hmm." She glanced up to the screen. As soon as the notes began to come up she hit them, perfectly.

Kyon had some trouble, but he hit most of them.

Then, Yuki realized that she had the power to hit a few notes and make it so that Kyon would have to hit his notes twice as hard to make them count. She shook her guitar upwards and hit the keys and then went back to playing.

"What was that?" He tried playing. "What?"

"You have to press your notes harder to make them count."

"What!?" Of course, he had lost a lot of notes trying to talk and play at the same time. He pressed harder and played. "This sucks!"

"Yes." She kept playing and got to 'Star Power' mode. Shaking her guitar upwards and pressing her keys, her side turned blue and her notes glowed.

"Dammit!" He kept having to hit his keys harder.

Finally it wore off and he could play normally, again. Her Star Power had worn off as well.

A few moments later she shook her guitar up again and pressed a few notes. He looked over then to his screen. It was then that he noticed that he couldn't use one of his notes. "What…what is going on. The guitar is broken!"

"It is not broken. I have made it so that you can not use that for the moment."

"Dammit! Why?"

She looked to him and blinked, still playing. "Competition." She looked back. It was the chorus, and she had it memorized.

"Gah!" He tried to keep playing, hitting that string over and over until it finally worked again.

Finally the song ended. He fell back on the carpet and closed his eyes. "That…was awful."

She glanced down to her guitar. "I thought it was enjoyable."

"Well, of course _you_ did. I didn't even know you _could_ do those things!"

"It is all in the manual."

Kyon's sister jumped up and down. "That was fun! Can I play?"

"No, you don't want to play. Seriously." He didn't want her to cry or something like that.

"I wanna!"

"Fine…but don't come to me when you're annoyed that you didn't win."

She smiled and grabbed his guitar.

"Yeah! Get ready for this, Yuki. My brother may be a push over, but I'm not." She looked to him.

"Sis!" He looked wide-eyed. "Don't say that! She's really gonna beat you, now."

Yuki blinked twice at her. They both looked at the screen. The song started and the notes started coming toward them.

Both hit them perfectly and it wasn't long before both of them shook their guitars and hit the notes to bring on an attack. Yuki looked over at her. They both had to hit their keys twice as hard. Yuki looked down at her guitar and so did Kyon's sister. They were both visibly annoyed though they tried not to show it.

Kyon smiled. Yuki was annoyed.

Finally it wore off and both of them were back to normal. They played like this for a while, it seemed to try to get to Star Power mode to make up for what they had just been through. Then, Kyon's sister pulled her guitar up and hit a few notes just as a solo was coming up. Yuki looked at her screen as twice the amount of notes came at her.

Her eyes widened. "Oh my." She stood still for a moment. But, luckily she was able to hit every note.

Kyon's sister got annoyed at this fact. "That's not suppose to happen!"

Yuki pulled her guitar up and pressed a note making Kyon's sisters' screen shake so that she could barely read her notes. Her mouth dropped open. "No fair!" She squinted her eyes and moved forward a bit, trying to play.

Yuki activated her Star Power and got extra points. "Aaa!" Kyon's sister stomped.

Kyon was just embarrassed that he was so terrible after seeing his sister.

Finally the attack and Star Power wore off and they played for a few moments before both of them had the chance to put an attack on each other. They both knew it, too. At the same time they pulled their guitar up and activated the 'Lefty Flip' making both of them have to turn their guitar's over and play them with their left hands. They both let out an annoyed sound and did it, trying to play.

This wasn't something Yuki was good at, and she missed notes just as Kyon's sister did.

Kyon's sister was happy about this.

The song was about to end and the attack finally wore off, letting them switch the guitar back and play normal for a few moments, getting their points up just a bit before it was over.

Kyon's sister let out a breath and Yuki stood still, then looked to the other two.

The screen said that Kyon's sister had won. She blinked. Kyon's sister jumped up and down, yelling, "Yaaay! I knew I could do it!" Then she ran to Yuki and hugged her, tightly.

Yuki's eyes widened. Then, she slowly wrapped her arms around the girl. "I knew you could do it, too. You were very good."

"Thank you, Yuki!" She smiled. "You're very nice."

"Alright." Kyon smiled. "Yuki and I are gonna go now. Do you have enough stuff to do and everything?"

She smiled. "Uh-huh!"

"Kay."

She skipped out of the room, very happy with herself.

Kyon had his hands in his pockets, and was watching Yuki as she watched his sister leave the room. "It made no sense. The only time you missed notes was at the very end. She missed notes throughout. How could she have won?" He walked up to her. "Did you talk to the game, Yuki? Did you tell it to have her win?" He looked very interested. "Can you do that?"

She looked away. "I do not know what you're talking about." She glanced back to him for a moment. "She won."


	10. Chapter 10

Yuki and Kyon started walking up the stairs to his room. She was second, so she was able to look back and see that his sister had come to watch them go up. She peeked up from behind the banister, smiling. She waved, slightly. Yuki didn't quite know what to do, so she did nothing. Turning back up, she saw was at the top of the stairs.

"This way." He gestured. She walked, awkwardly. Finally they were there.

She was surprised by how much was in his room. But then, her apartment had absolutely nothing in it, so any living space would seem full to her.

She stood at the mouth of the door and he was behind her. "Um. You can go in." He was very nice, but he still didn't know quite what to do. He was very nervous.

"Oh. I see." She walked in about five steps and then stopped; he walked in and turned around, smiling.

"Well, this is my room." He shrugged. "Not quite as cool as your place, but it does the job."

She looked at his bed and then his desk. "My 'place.'"

"Yeah. You're apartment."

"It is very 'boring,' though." She walked to the desk and looked at the pictures on it. "I like your place."

He smiled. "Thanks." She looked to him and blinked. He realized that he was just looking at her and doing nothing. "Oh! Do you wanna sit down?" He pulled out his chair at his desk for her.

She looked at it. "Okay." She said the word as if she had been practicing it. Slowly, she sat down. He walked to his bed and sat on it.

The awkward filled the room for a few moments.

"So." He said, looking down at the ground. "You were really good at Guitar Hero." He smiled. "I mean, really good. I was embarrassed down there. My little sister completely showed me up." He laughed.

She glanced to the ground and brought her hands together on her knees. "I am sorry."

He shook his head a little. "W-what? You don't have to be…why would you say you're sorry?"

She gripped her hands together a little. "I have a pattern of winning. I am always superior at everything. I must be annoying. I should abstain from this behavior immediately. It is only beneficial to myself."

"No." He walked up to her. "No, no. It's completely fine that you are good at what you do, Yuki. You're just talented; it's not your fault."

She looked up; her eyes glistened a little.

He tilted his head slightly and then looked down. "You don't have to apologize for the way you are, Yuki. You're special, that's all. It's why I like you. So, please _don't_ change."

She looked away. "No. No. I want to be… 'normal.' Yes. I want to be normal. I want to lose." She turned to him. "I want to lose."

He laughed a little. "Why? That's not usually something people want to do, Yuki."

She looked down, sadly.

"Well, I mean. If it's what you want. I just…I don't see how you could. You're really good at everything. I don't know what we could find that you could lose at without…well…cheating. Do you want to lose fair and square or do you want to cheat at it?"

She thought about this. "I want to…I." She closed her eyes. "I do not know."

"Hmm." He looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe…maybe my sister can help us." He stood up and walked to the door. "Stay here. I'll be right back." She watched him leave.

----

"Okay." Kyon put the game out. "Have you ever seen this game before, Yuki?"

She blinked. "No."

"You haven't!" His sister smiled. "It's so fun! Can I play with her, Kyon, can I!"

He smiled. "Okay, but be easy on her." He knew that she wouldn't. "Alright. Now, the object of the game is to figure out which person the other player is by asking different questions that will slowly get rid of people. So, you could ask like 'Does the person have glasses?' If they don't, you put down everyone who has glasses 'cause it wouldn't be them, right?"

Yuki looked down at the people and put her hands over the plastic pieces, slowly, memorizing their faces. "Okay."

"And then whoever figures out who the other person is first…wins!" Kyon's sister jumped up in her seat. "Okay, let's play! Stop explaining, let's play!" She looked down at her people.

Yuki looked to her. "Okay."

"You go first, since it's your first time." She smiled.

"Oh." She glanced to the people. "Is it a female?"

"NOPE!" She grinned.

Yuki pushed down all of the girls.

Kyon's sister quickly asked. "Is it a guy?!"

"No. It is not."

Kyon's sister quickly flicked down all of the pieces.

"Does he have blonde hair?"

"Aww….yes." Yuki pushed down pieces.

"Does she have brown hair???" She smiled, moving forward.

"No. No, she does not."

"Dang it!"

"Sis, language." Kyon looked at her.

"Sorry." She pushed down pieces, slowly.

Yuki tried not to show it, but she was angry. Angry that she had guessed right. This was a guessing game and she had guessed right. Kyon couldn't have picked a better game, but she was still doing well.

"Does he have glasses?"

"YES!" She crossed her arms.

Yuki's head bowed a little as she slowly flicked pieces down and said the name.

"You win. And fast! How did you do that???"

"I don't know." She stood and left the room.

Kyon smiled. "I'll be right back."

Kyon's sister counted how many steps it took Yuki to do it, shaking her head in awe.

Kyon ran out. "Yuki! It's okay, it's just luck this time, it's a game of luck! Let's just play one more time. I'll play with you this time. I'm amazing at this game. I'll beat you like no other, make you cry. It'll be embarrassing, _really_ it will."

She was facing the wall. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just not meant to lose. Maybe it's just me. I just…really wanted to."

He looked down to the ground. He really wished he could laugh, but he really, _really_ couldn't. It was just so funny to hear that. No one wanted to lose. No one. But her. He brought his hands up in front of him, trying to think. Then, he looked at them. Wait.

"Yuki. Yuki, have you ever played the game 'Rock, Paper, Scissors?'"

She turned around. "What?"

"Rock, Paper, Scissors." He walked to her. "Have you played it?"

"No."

"Well, it goes like this: both of us put our left hand out flat and our right hand in a fist, then we say, 'Rock, Paper, Scissors', doing this, yeah, like that, you're doing it. Then right after saying 'Scissors' you pick either of them and based on the one both of us picked, one of us wins."

She stared at him.

"Okay. To continue. Rock looks like this." He showed her. "Scissors like this, and Paper like this." Paper beats rock, rock beats scissors and scissors beats paper. But if we both pick the same thing it's a tie. And it's best two out of three. So…are you game?"

She made the three symbols with her hand and then did the 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' teaser while thinking about it. Then, she looked at him. "Yes."

"Alright. Let's do it."

They both stood across from each other. "Okay." He looked her in the eye. "We both say it together, now."

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" (Only, he was the only one who said it with the exclamation at the end)

Kyon had Rock and Yuki had Paper. Kyon put his fist under her hand. "You win this round. Let's go on."

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" They both had Scissors.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" Kyon had Scissors and Yuki had Paper. He cut her Paper with his Scissors.

"I win. Now whoever wins this round wins."

She looked up at him.

"Okay."

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!"

They both stood still looking at each other. Yuki was silent. It was like all of the air had gone out of the room and there was just them and this answer to their question: could Yuki lose (most of all, could she lose to Kyon – sorry Kyon).

She walked up and kissed him, softly. He opened his eyes wide, surprised. She stepped back, then brought her hand up and cut his Paper with her Scissors. He laughed.


	11. Chapter 11 epilogue

The film convention was a go, and Haruhi was as happy as she ever was going to be about it.

"Alright! Is everyone dressed up?" She finished buttoning her collar on her bunny girl costume and turned to Mikuru who was wearing the nurse costume. "Mikuru! You look great, girl, why the long face?"

Mikuru was sitting in a chair, her arms wrapped around herself, shivering. "So cold."

"C'mon!" Haruhi walked over to her and grabbed her by the wrist. "Don't think about it." She pulled her to her feet. "Hey…" Looking around she thought for a moment. "Where's Yuki?"

Kyon had tried to not bring attention to the fact that Yuki hadn't come yet, even though he knew that Haruhi would eventually have to realize that the third body with a sleezy outfit wasn't there.

"Well…where is she?" She turned to Kyon. "We need her. Especially her for this, I mean look at her outfit!" She let out an annoyed sigh.

"So, what all is going to go on with this thing?" Kyon tried to change the subject.

"Everything!" Haruhi started pulling Mikuru out of the room. "We'll be spreading the SOS Brigade's information to the entire convention, Kyon!"

Mikuru made small, sad noises as she was pulled down the hall.

Kyon shook his head. "I still don't understand why you had to change_ before_ we got on the bus to go down to this place. You guys are going to get stared at the entire time."

Haruhi smiled. "Yeah! I know!" She pulled out some fliers. "Precisely!" She gave some to Mikuru. "Here. You'll be needing more than me, I'm sure!" She laughed. "But where's Yuki! That girls' going to need a lot of explaining." She crossed her arms as they waited outside the school, all of them sitting on some steps near the door.

"I am sorry." They both turned, quickly to the right and saw Yuki standing in her costume. "If you have been waiting."

Kyon put his hand up to his face. Seriously…that outfit.

Haruhi let out a long breath. "Finally!" She stood and started pulling Mikuru again.

"Oh!" She closed her eyes and followed her, blindly.

The bus door opened and everyone piled on, Yuki last.

"Look at everyone's reaction on here!" Haruhi looked around, hungrily, at everyone on the bus. "They all love us!"

Mikuru opened her eyes. "Ms. Suzumiya, I don't think we should be dressed like this. We could get in trouble."

"What?" She looked at her outfit. "Whatever. Plus, Kyon's with us. What could happen."

Kyon looked away and rolled his eyes. "Hey, I can't protect you from everything just cause I'm a guy."

"_Whatever_." She crossed her legs and three men from across the bus looked.

----

Once they arrived Haruhi was as excited as ever. "Yes!" She turned around. "Now, don't mess it up!" She pulled the two girls to her. Mikuru let out a small whimper. Yuki did nothing. "Alright!"

----

"_It's time to use my secret weapon."_

_throws guns down "Naaah!"_

_close up_

"_Mi-mi-Mikuru Beaaaam!"_

----

Haruhi watched for the reactions of the audience, her hands up to her chest. "Do you think they like it? They have to like it! It's amazing, right?" She turned to Kyon.

"Of course."

"Oh, I wish Itsuki could be here to see this." She looked annoyed. "He'd be more into it."

Of course he would. He was such a 'yes man' it hurt. He looked over to Mikuru and Yuki, who were down on the floor looking to the audience and smiling. Or, rather, Mikuru was trying to smile and Yuki was standing, doing nothing. Most of the audience was staring at Mikuru.

He closed his eyes. "How many screenings are we going to have?"

"Four! Four screenings!" She jumped up and down twice. "Isn't that great?" Turning to him she grabbed his collar. "Now, let's walk down there and see how Mikuru and Yuki are doing."

"What?"

She dragged him along with her.

----

"_I am an alien from beyond the stars that uses the art of magic." _

"_Well, Is that so?"_

"_It is."_

----

Finally they were to where Mikuru and Yuki were. Yuki looked to Kyon and then to the ground. Seriously…that outfit. He put his hand up to his face.

"So, how do you guys think it's going?"

Mikuru shook a little as she looked up at the screen. "Um I-uh. I think it's going-uh?"

"Speak up, girl!" She smacked her on the back.

"Ohhh! Ms. Suzumiya. It's alright. The gentlemen over there," She pointed to a man who looked away as soon as they looked at him, "said that he really likes the film. And the man over there," the same happened again, "said that the music was lovely. He loved my voice at the beginning." She smiled. He looked to her and smiled back.

Haruhi put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Good. It is an amazing film." She smiled. "Yuki?" She turned to her. Yuki continued to look forward. "Yuki?" She looked to her more carefully. Finally she responded with two blinks and a raise of her laser gun. All the men in the first row looked to her. Kyon nearly growled. "I hope you're having as much fun as Mikuru, here." Mikuru's eyes got kind of soft.

She looked back to the audience. The men continued to look at her. She blinked, again. They still stared. After a few moments she quickly knelt into a stance and pointed the laser at all of them, with her left knee on the ground and her right elbow resting on her right knee.

All of them kind of moved back and looked to the screen.

A few of them looked back at her for a second and she narrowed her eyes. They looked back to the movie and straightened up in their seats.

She nodded and stood up.

Kyon walked around Haruhi to her. "Hey."

"Hello." She didn't look to him.

"How are you?"

"I'm wearing a Star Trek outfit."

Haruhi bumped Mikuru. "Hey, girl. You have a big part coming up!"

----

"_Huh? You want me to hold it?"_

_walks up and takes gun_

_walks back_

"_You…you should never shoot this while pointing it at other people! You should only shoot empty cans with it! Huh? You want me to shoot?"_

_shoots_

"_Waaaa!"_

----

Half of the audience looked horrified and half of them tried not to laugh. Kyon took Yuki by the wrist and pulled her away from the group, trying not to let Haruhi notice. When she did notice he told her, "We'll be right back, I think she needs some make up, don't you?"

She looked at her. "You're right. You look kind of pale."

They walked off.

Right when they got out into the hall Kyon placed Yuki against the wall. She looked at him.

He looked at her.

They looked at each other.

It was then that he realized he had no idea what he wanted to say and he felt very awkward.

Wait! He did know what he wanted to say.

"Yuki?"

"Yes."

"How are you?"

She turned her head to the side to watch some people as they walked by. They obviously looked at her outfit. "You have already asked me this question. And it occurred just a moment ago."

He glanced to the ground. Dammit. That's not how he meant this to go.

Umm….Wait! "Yuki?"

"Yes…"

"How has your day been? What did you do before you came here?"

She thought for a moment. "It has been alright. I cleaned my apartment." Kyon imagined _that_ took a long time. "I read two books. I watched the first three episodes of the original Star Trek." She looked up. "It was very interesting."

"Did you like it?"

She thought, again. "It was very interesting."

He laughed. "Sounds good."

The door opened up and Haruhi came out. When she saw them and Yuki she put her hand on her hip. "I don't see any make up."

Yuki turned to her. "We couldn't find any."

"Oh. I suppose that's true." She turned to the window. "Well," looking back to them she said, "Get back in here, already!"

----

"_I am afraid that you and I do not have very much time left anymore. We must resolve our conflict before our lunch break is over." _

"_That is something we both agree on! However, I am positive that Itsuki will say that he's gonna chose me…I just know that he's gonna pick me!"_

"_That is unfortunate for you, because I do not intend to acknowledge his free will at all."_

----

Yuki stared at the screen as Kyon glanced from Haruhi to Mikuru back to Yuki. He wasn't sure what to do. Haruhi looked hungrily at the audience for reactions.

"Seriously, why couldn't Itsuki come today?" She put her hands on her hips. "That jerk." Then she smiled as the audience smiled. "They like it!"

Really they were just laughing because of the teacher running out of the building during the shot. Kyon turned away. "We really should have cut that out." He looked back to where Yuki was. "What?" Looking around, he couldn't find her. She had just disappeared. Haruhi hadn't seemed to notice. He looked to Mikuru. She was nearly staring at him. When he finally made eye contact with her she gestured to a door with her head. He looked to it. It was barely open. Mikuru said something to Haruhi and she turned to her, talking. Kyon took this opportunity to run to the door.

"Yuki?" He opened the door. No one was there. "Yuki…" He started walking down the hall to his left. If he couldn't find her, he just wanted to leave. They would be fine without him. It was as he walked by a classroom door that he felt someone reach out and grab his arm. "What?" He was pulled in, his breath catching as he was.

Once he was in the door shut and he was in near darkness. Pushed up against the wall, his eyes were closed. Then, someone put their hand over his eyes.

"Shhh…."

----

Kyon opened his eyes. He wasn't sure where he was at first. He could hear a familiar sound, but from where…

He sat up. No one was around. Then he heard a voice.

"Hello."

Quickly, he turned around. He was still. Then he closed his eyes for a moment. "Hmm." He stood. "That's why this place seemed so familiar. I'm glad I got to go here again." He walked up to her.

Yuki turned around. "This can't work, you know." She didn't look away from him as she said it. "Any of it. I am sorry. I can not learn anymore from you. I can not be with you. You can not come back here anymore. It has to be as it was before. It just has to be."

Kyon stared at her. "I don't understand." He closed his eyes. "This doesn't make any sense this comes out of no where!"

"Does it?" She turned away. "I am sorry. I should not have let my guard down so much. It was not professional."

"Yuki."

She didn't look to him.

"Yuki?" He shook his head a little. "Nagato?"

She turned to him. He narrowed his eyes. "Nagato?"

"Yes."

"When you brought me here the last time, I'm sorry…I can't remember. You got us here right away, right?"

She just stared at him. After thinking for a few moments she answered. "Of course. I know the coordinates to my own place of living. I will always bring someone here promptly."

His eyes widened. "You're not Yuki."

She just stood there. "What do you mean? I am Yuki Nagato." She stepped forward.

"No you're not. Yuki and I didn't get here right away at all. I got lost first. You aren't Yuki. You're someone else. Who are you?"

The girl stopped moving. Her eyebrow raised. "I _am_ Yuki…Nagato." She brought her hands up and unhooked the cape, taking it off of herself. When she did, it revealed a completely different outfit and a different Yuki. She had the same voice, but it was animated. And she had emotions, as much as any human would. It was so strange. She was wearing an all black outfit, black thigh-high boots and a black turtleneck. She walked up to him, quickly, making him sit down. "And you are Kyon, correct?"

He sat down. "C-corect."

She turned around. "Hmm. Kyon. I've been watching you. You and what you've been doing to Ms. Nagato." She looked back to him. "And you _will_ stop." She leaned over and put her hand on his shoulder.

He looked determined. "I will _not_. And who are you, anyway!"

"I _am_ Yuki Nagato." She stood up, straight. "At least…in a way."

He shook his head a little. "What?"

"When you are messing with the code of Yuki Nagato you are messing with the entire code in our system. Because of this I was created. I am everything that you are teaching Yuki. Love, happiness, desire, inner-strength. Everything that she is learning, I am that code. And I brought you here."

"Why?" He stood.

She turned her head up. Laughing, she looked away. "Why should I have to tell you that?"

"If I stop teaching Yuki…stop being with her. Won't you disappear?" She looked down. "And they want you to go away."

"It's what's right. I shouldn't be here."

"Why?" He walked up to her. Turning her around, he looked her in the eyes. "Why shouldn't you?"

Her eyes were nearly glistening, and wide. "I don't belong. I'm an accident. I don't do anything right, everyone else here is so demur and I don't…I'm all alone."

"No you're not. You have Yuki. You don't have to be alone. Why don't you two merge? You should. Didn't you use her body to take me here? Didn't you use her body to talk with me before?"

She sat down. "It's true. But I don't know what will happen. We don't share the same memories. What if I mess her up? I mess everything up."

"Hardly. You've made Yuki a better person."

She started to cry a little. "Really?"

"Please don't leave her now, not when she's just starting to really enjoy being that person."

She closed her eyes and looked away. She spoke quietly, "Okay."

"Thank you!" He hugged her.

Her eyes opened wide. "Ky…on?"

"Yes? I'm so happy you decided that you'd…Yuki?" He looked to her. Her entire face had changed. She looked down to her outfit, then to her surroundings.

"When did we come here?"

"We've been here for a little. Just talking."

She looked around and took in a deep breath. "I feel different. Like, I'm free." She smiled.

He smiled and leaned forward, kissing her. "I'm so happy to hear that."

And they both sat, happy to be in each other's arms.

-----

Meanwhile….

Haruhi looked away from the screen to the door. "Where did Yuki and Kyon go? Seriously…"


End file.
